


After School Blues

by shana0809



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 10:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shana0809/pseuds/shana0809
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When there's an emergency, Claude finds himself with more Brieres than he can handle</p>
            </blockquote>





	After School Blues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luxover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxover/gifts).



Claude's not entirely sure how he ended up in this dimension of Hell. Scratch that; he knows exactly how. Sort of. It had something to do with the pathetic, hurt puppy look that had crossed Danny's face when the PR people cornered him about doing a spot for the website.

For some reason, one he's not going to think about, he agreed to go pick up Danny's kids from school because Danny couldn't. They know him, even if he's never picked them up before. Danny even called the school and let them know Claude is coming so no one will think Claude's trying to kidnap Danny's clones.

It can't be that hard though. Danny does it all the time. It's simple. Get the kids, put them in the car, and take them back to Danny's place. If Danny's not home, make sure they don't burn the place down or stab each other with sharpened hockey sticks until their Dad gets home.

He can do this.

It's just that it's not Danny's kids he's supposed to worry about apparently, at least according to Scotty. It's all the crazy moms picking up their own kids. Danny's kids will probably just shrug and get in the car. They're pretty used to their Dad's crazy schedule.

Maybe he shouldn't have listened to Scotty about the moms. It's pretty much impossible for him to be attacked by sexually frustrated soccer moms in the parking lot, right? It sounds impossible, and Danny probably would have mentioned it.

When he finally gets to the school, there doesn't seem to be a sexually frustrated soccer mom in sight. Claude's leaning against the trunk of his car so the boys can see him. He's not sure if someone will have told them he's coming to pick them up, and if they don't see him, they won't know. It's not like they know what his car looks like, and they were expecting their Dad.

And if he fails to get Danny's kids home safely, he might as well just find a cliff and throw himself off it because Danny will kill him. He'll be so dead if so much of a hair is out of place on any of their heads.

This is a way bigger task then he thought it would be. It's actually one of the most important things possible. What was he thinking when he agreed to do this?

Obviously, he wasn't.

Not the first time that's happened. Normally, he ends up in a stranger's bed or throwing up in a dirty toilet because his head is pounding and he's hungover, but at least he gets to have some fun first when he does that.

This time there's the threat of death without any of the good stuff.

He sends a quick text to Danny, more out of nerves than anything, asking when he should expect the boys to be getting out of school. 

Danny doesn't respond. Claude wasn't really expecting him too, but it's something to do with his hands.

There's a bell; Claude jumps a little because he wasn't expecting to hear it outside. Suddenly, the whole area is overrun with kids. It's like an explosion of kids. How the hell is he supposed to find Danny's kids in this mess?

He can only hope they find him, like when he was a kid. They'd tell him to stay in one spot and let the adults find him.

Except it's totally the reverse here.

God, it seems so simple, but he really doesn't have a clue what he's doing. Why didn't someone warn him? Or try harder to warn him? Why didn't they make sure he understood to what he was actually agreeing? Danny, the heartless bastard, should have said something.

But it makes sense why he didn't. Claude never would have agreed to this had he known it was going to look like this.

Calean finds him. Danny's eldest son has a confused a look on his face.

So no one told them Claude was coming to get them.

"G? What are you doing here?"

"Your Dad got caught up doing press stuff. I offered to come and drive you guys home for him."

Calean gives him a suspicious look.

"He phoned the school and everything. I'm supposed to bring you guys straight home. No stopping for any sort of fast food or anything that could ruin your dinner. Or my diet."

Calean rolls his eyes by he seems convinced by the parental nature of Claude's admonishments.

"Where are your brothers in this mess?"

"They'll be here in a couple minutes. Carson's just talking to one of the guys from his class."

"And Cam?"

"He might still be with his teacher. Sometimes, he's really dumb and takes forever to get ready to go. He's in the school next to this one."

"Calean," Claude tries to sound disapproving, but he can't really manage it because it's exactly the sort of thing he'd say about one of the guys in the locker room, only with more profanity. He's probably said a lot worse about guys in the room.

"He'll be here. Don't be a weirdo and freak out about it."

Claude has to bite back the urge to swear at Calean for being a smart ass. 

Calean's a teenager. He's _supposed_ to be a smart ass.

Carson finds them a couple minutes later, dragging a backpack that looks like it weighs more than he does. Or Claude's hockey bag.

Carson looks to Calean for an explanation about this sudden change in plans. It might be a little bit weird, but Claude doesn't think him coming to get them warrants this much suspicion from the Brière kids. He plays with their Dad, for fuck's sake.

"Dad's busy at the rink, so he sent G to come get us."

"Why didn't he just ask Mom to come?"

"Probably because Mom and Dad can barely speak to each other without yelling."

Carson considers that for a minute. "Yeah, Mom probably would have yelled about hockey and how Dad needs to remember he has responsibilities to us and not just his team."

"Yeah," Calean concludes, his face clouding over for a moment. "And they've had that fight before."

Carson nods.

Claude tries to ignore them. It's obviously a private conversation, or at least private in that it's about their family. Instead, he tries to use his height to scan the crowd for Cameron. 

He just has to find one more Mini-Brière, and then he can take them back to their Dad and never do this again. 

Cam comes into his line of sight, dragging a bag that seems way too big for him. Claude doesn't remember ever carrying a bag as big as Cam's, but he doesn't remember much about school. It was all about hockey, even when he was Cam's age.

He grabs the bag when Cam gets close enough to give him a huge welcoming grin.

"G!"

The youngest of the Brières doesn't have the same suspicions as his older brothers. He's just glad to see someone he knows and likes.

"Hey, buddy. Your Dad's busy at the rink, so he sent me to bring you guys home."

Claude pushes himself off the trunk, opens it, and is immediately confronted with another problem. He's still got stuff in his trunk, odds and ends mostly. The type of things he always thinks he needs, but then can never actually find a use for, so they stay in the trunk of his car. Now he's got to figure out how to get the Danny clones' giant backpacks into the already full trunk.

Calean casts a doubtful look at the trunk.

"I'm not sure everything is going to fit in there."

Claude shoves at a bag, some loose junk, and an old pair of skates. It makes a little bit more room. "Let's give it a try."

Carson hands over his bag eagerly. Claude sets Cam's bag down and puts Carson's bag in the trunk. Cameron's bag is next.

He puts it in next to Carson's. Looking at the room he has left in the trunk, he's pretty sure Calean's bag isn't going to fit. He reaches a hand out for it anyway.

"G, you're crazy of you think my bag's going to fit in there. I'll just keep it with me."

"Fine, have it your way, kid. Just remember, I offered. I'm sure I could have gotten it in there."

"You really need to clean your trunk out."

That helpful piece of advice comes from Cam. Claude nods dutifully, like he's just realizing the error of his ways now.

He never should have offered to do this. He has a kid telling him to clean his fucking car.

"We'll put the bag on the floor in the front," Claude finally settles on. He's not entirely sure that's going to work either, but whatever. Now the clones just have to decide who gets shotgun.

Calean answers that for him. "SHOTGUN!"

Carson and Cam just gape at him.

"Should have been faster," Calean taunts, opening the passenger door.

"You're not allowed to sit up front," Cam interjects.

"We're not all going to fit in the back of G's car."

Claude doesn't get involved because he's pretty sure Calean has a point. Calean's also the oldest and tallest, so he's probably the best one to put up front. It's probably safest.

He waits for Calean to settle his bag and everyone to do up their seat belts. Cameron and Carson squabble in the backseat for a moment.

"Everyone ready?" he asks. He tries to keep his voice level and not let his frustration show. He likes Danny's kids, but he's also never seen them without their Dad to sort of keep them in line.

It's _different_ when he's on his own.

He hears a couple positive noises from the back and sees the nod Calean gives him out of the corner of his eye. Time to finish this favour and get the clones safely back to Danny.

Getting out of the parking lot is an adventure where he gets cut off by at least three different cars until he's ready to flip someone off. People are stupid drivers, and Claude just wants this done.

The drive to the Brière house in Haddonfield is filled with chatter about hockey and complaints about school, homework, and other kids in their respective classes. There's also one fight between Carson and Cam about whether or not Cameron has a stupid face.

Claude intervenes in that fight to stop it before the real name calling starts. He doesn't want to return Cam to Danny in tears.

He's still never been so glad to see Danny's house as he is this tome. He's never dealt with the boys on his own for this long.

They're _exhausting_.

Danny opens the door as Claude turns off the car. Claude's not sure if he should be offended that Danny was obviously watching for them.

"Thanks for getting them," Danny's coming down the front steps to the car. "You were a lifesaver. Thank Claude, boys."

Claude nods his acceptance of their thanks. They hurry into the house. "When you get home?"

Danny grins at him. "Just like five minutes ago. Thank you again for doing this. It was a big help."

"Yeah, no, it was no problem. They're great kids, but I'm disappointed. Scotty promised me sexually frustrated soccer moms, and I didn't see any."

Danny's answering grin is infectious. "Maybe you just don't know what you're looking for yet." 

It causes a warmth in Claude's stomach about which he doesn't want to think. He's just glad he could help out a teammate. Danny's been great to him while he's been with the Flyers. It makes him feel like he's part of the team and maybe part of Danny's family in some small way.

He digs the boys' bags out of his trunk and hands them to Danny, checks to make sure Calean took his bag with him from the front seat, and tries not to stand around looking awkward.

He's pretty sure he fails at that, but whatever.

Danny grabs both bags with the ease of a lot of practice. He should be good at it. They're his boys, after all.

Claude watches as Danny turns to head back up towards the house. 

"I better get back before they start a war over what video game to play instead of doing their homework."

"Yeah, they're trouble."

Claude waits for Danny to close the door to his place before he opens his car door and climbs back inside.

He's got to get back to Philly and his apartment. And he should probably move some to the shit out his trunk so that all three backpacks will fit in it.

Just in case.

Fini.

Notes:

1\. I imaged this story taking place in the 2008-2009. My understanding is that Giroux was a mid-season call up from the Phantoms, and didn't live with Brière until the following year, 2009-2010.  
2\. The familiarity of the Brière children with Giroux is something I've crafted for two reasons. One, Giroux played his Major Junior in Gatineau, where Brière is from and spends parts of his summer, and two, Québécois players tend to gravitate towards each other because of a shared first language.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to liroa15 for the beta


End file.
